Barstow sweep nets 26 arrests, drugs, and firearms Thursday

Friday

Jul 21, 2017 at 3:16 PMJul 21, 2017 at 3:41 PM

Staff Reports

BARSTOW — Authorities made several arrests and recovered stolen vehicles, illegal guns and drugs during a sweep conducted Thursday.

Together with the San Bernardino County Probation Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Barstow Police Department conducted a probation and parole compliance operation in the city starting at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Composed of 25 officers from the various department involved, the operation’s purpose is to ensure that individuals on active probation, post release community supervision (PRCS) or parole are complying with the terms and conditions of their supervised release, officials said in a statement.

Teams of officers conducted “multiple residence checks and searches of the subjects” on probation, PRCS or parole. The teams ultimately arrested 26 people for probation and parole violations, as well as warrants for drug charges, trespassing and other offenses, according to officials.

Officers conducted two traffic stops during the operation that led to two more arrests, the recovery of a stolen vehicle and the seizure of a sawed-off shotgun.

The weapon was found when officers conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a vehicle in the 700 block of Arville Avenue. Ammunition and narcotics were also found, and the driver, Christopher Michael Thatcher, 29, of Barstow, was found to be a felon who cannot legally possess firearms.

Thatcher was subsequently placed under arrest and the weapon, drugs and ammunition were seized.

A second traffic stop was conducted when officers spotted a stolen vehicle in the 1200 block of E. Main Street. The driver, Nicole Renee Patten, 33, of Lancaster, was arrested and the vehicle was recovered, officials said.

Thatcher was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a controlled substance while armed and using a controlled substance, while Patten was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, booking records show.

Thatcher is being held at the West Valley Detention Center in lieu of $50,000 bail, with an additional $10,000 bail for an unrelated driving with a suspended license warrant, according to booking records. He’s expected to appear in court Monday.

Patten remains in custody at the Adelanto Detention Center in lieu of $25,000 bail. Her first court appearance is also scheduled for Monday.